Drewry: East-West rates rise in August as capacity tightens

The cost of shipping air freight between Asia and the United States got a little more expensive in August, rising to $3.15 per kilogram from a rate of $3.06 per kilogram in July, according to Drewry. The Drewry East-West Air Freight Price Index, which averages the cost of a kilogram on 21 East-West routes, found that August’s rates are the highest since May. Compared to August 2012, rates have grown by $.08 per kilogram, but last month’s result is still a far cry from February’s pricing high of $3.32 per kilogram. In the past 12 months, the highest rates shippers paid for airfreight on the East-West lane occurred in November 2012, when a kilogram of air cargo was averaging $3.64. Sources: Drewry Sea & Air Shipper In...